Soul's Requiem
by KenshinIchimaru
Summary: Follow the story of Atsuhiko a young soul reaper who, along with some unlikely allies, learns that in order to find their destinies, they must abandon their initial beliefs. Story is set at the beginning and is slightly AU OC contest inside: In need of three female characters (Quincy, Arrancar, Soul Reaper, Human) and one male character (Soul Reaper or Visored)
1. OC Contest

**Ok so I've been in a writing funk considering my review rate is very low right now... However instead of just giving up and throwing in the towel, I was given another option by a wonderful friend to just write in an entirely new genre altogether. So I decided to try my hand with Bleach. I know there's over 70,000 stories already in this genre and it is main stream but this is just something that I like to watch and write about...**

**So, this will take place during the main arc from the very beginning but from a totally different perspective. Think of it as a "While Ichigo was..." type of storyline that will constantly intertwine with the main plot. Everything about my OC will be completely original (duh lol) but I will be looking for two more characters to add to this. So I'm holding an OC contest for three female characters. One should be a spiritually gifted human, one either an arrancar or visored, and last but not least, one should be a soul reaper. My character will have multiple interactions with these three that will not only shape the story but his destiny as a whole. Just follow the application information and reply in the comment section: (I'm including my OC's information so just cut that out when you copy the information to send. Lastly, I want to re-itorate (wrong spelling I know) that this is starting from the very beginning of the bleach saga. That means while Ichigo was receiving Rukia's soul reaper abilities, this is what's going on in the lives of others during that process so please leave the comments about "certain characters are dead" or "they don't belong to that squad anymore" at the hypothetical door.**

**Name: Atsuhiko Makihiko**

**Age: 19 (Human world)/unknown (Soul Society)**

**Race [Human, Soul Reaper/Visored, Arrancar]: Soul Reaper (Chocolate complexion)**

**Hair [Color, Length, Style]: Black, medium length dreadlocks that are always tied in a ponytail. **

**Eye Color: Sky Blue**

**Build: Athletic/Slightly Muscular**

**Personality: He is actually shy at first unless you know him pretty well. Once you get to know him he is actually a lot of fun to be around. During his brief travels to the human world, he has been viewed as weird considering he doesn't know how to react to a girl's advances without blushing or stuttering. Now that he is older he is a little less nervous when approached by the opposite sex in the world of the living and instead of appearing weird, his reactions make him that much more attractive to females. **

**In battle, he is confident and always wears a smirk when he fights a worthy opponent be it hollows or even fellow soul reapers who attempt to "put him in his place". He learned a tremendous sense of leadership from Shunsui Kyoraka and Nanao Ise who taught him how to have fun and be responsible respectively. His ultimate goal is to achieve captain status**

**Spiritual Ability [Human only]:**

**Style of clothing [Human, Soul Reaper, or Visored]: Wears the traditional **

**Favorite color: Green**

**Zampakuto Name (Soul Reaper, Visored, or Arrancar): konton no ****oo**kami  


**Shikai Release phrase: Howl Konton no O****o**kami

**Shikai state: The blade transforms into a large scythe that emits spiritual energy when slashed at opponents. His zampakuto also howls when he releases his Chi no Kiba (Blood Fang) attack. **

**Bankai state: unknown**

**Squad [Soul Reaper only]: Squad 8**

**Position: 3rd Seat**

**Notable feature(s): Has tribal tattoos on his shoulders leading up to his neck and the name Amaya (in Kanji) tattooed on the left pectoral.**

**So in the grand scheme of things, I will upload the main plot in the next chapter once I check the OC's that were sent in. Trust me, they will play an intricate role in the story and main plot of Atsuhiko... So remember review with your applications and if you have any questions then feel free to PM me on here.**


	2. Cast and Update info

**So, after much consideration, I decided to make a few changes to the requirements of the OC's and the story plot. First the plot will take place around the canon arc but will be completely be AU. So there will be little to no interaction with Ichigo but the other characters such as Rukia or Chad, etc will be there. I decided to do it this way so that there will be no complications with the timeline of the plot as the story progresses. I also decided to keep the characters I've received so far via reviews and PM and will hold another contest for later character types such as Quincy's, Arrancars, etc. So below is a list of the official characters so far:**

**1. Atsuhiko Makihiko (KenshinIchimaru)**

** Zanpakuto: Konton no O****o**kami

**Squad 8 **

**Position: 3rd Seat**

**2. Kasai Hasu (pinoychick101)**

**Zanpakuto: Kanjo no Sosa**

**Squad 11**

**Position: 4th Seat**

**3. Yui Hotaru (Scarlett Kuchiki)**

**Zanpakuto: Shi no Hyoren**

**Squad 6**

**Position: 3rd Seat**

**4. Yuki Makuto (shadowssj12)**

**Zanpakuto: Raiju**

**Squad 13**

**Position: 4th Seat**

**Yes, I understand that these four are all Soul Reapers (or Shinigami) but in reality, when I looked over the OC's being sent in (combined with the lack of other races) I just opted to take this route for now. Please keep in mind that there will be other chances to submit OCs and even now I'll be reviewing any more that are sent between now and the next arc. I will definitely need Arrancar OC's or else I'll be forced to make some of my own.**

**So now I want to focus on the next portion of this update and that is the chapter list for the first arc. While the canon story seperated the large arcs with smaller versions of the overall story, I will try to simplify it even more. The first arc will focus on the following arcs in the Bleach series:**

**Arc 1- Training Days and Skies of Gray**

**A. Agent of the Shinigami**

**B. Soul Society: Sneak Entry**

**C. Soul Society: The Rescue**

**D. The Bount & Bount assault on the Soul Society**

**Five Story arcs that will be covered in one arc that will definitely take at least seven to eight chapters to complete. (I may add more). So for the time being, as mentioned in the first "chapter", I am writing the central plot for the arc for each specific character so that nobody plays a supporting role for the entire story. Certain chapters will focus on specific individuals while others will have a cameo or two in order to supply a balance in the story telling. I know what it feels like to put my own OC into a story only to have him/her with a small role for nearly the entire story. It becomes annoying and eventually I lose interest in reading that. **

**I am also working diligently on action and fighting scenes in the story so that you all will have a clear idea of what's going on. (Breaking out the thesaurus), I want to make sure that there is no confusion when reading this and so without further delay, I promise that the next chapter will be the first official chapter of the Soul's Requiem series. I hope that you all enjoy this and congrats to those who've sent me their awesome OCs. **

**Oh and to stress one last time, you can still send in OC's but the Contest for Soul Reapers is closed. Only Visoreds, Quincy's and Arrancars will be needed for the future chapters. So I hope you all check out the first chapter coming very soon and keep sending in those OC's and you can send multiple OC's as well just dont send in an army lol. **


	3. Welcome to the Soul Society

**Well, here it is! Chapter one of Souls Requiem. I'm so excited and I know that some of you have been asking me when I was going to post the first chapter. Well now, the wait is over. Listed below are the four OCs submitted and accepted to be in the story so far:**

**1. Atsuhiko Makihiko (KenshinIchimaru)**

** Zanpakuto: Konton no O****o**kami

**Squad 8 **

**Position: 3rd Seat**

**2. Kasai Hasu (pinoychick101)**

**Zanpakuto: Kanjo no Sosa**

**Squad 11**

**Position: 4th Seat**

**3. Yui Hotaru (Scarlett Kuchiki)**

**Zanpakuto: Shi no Hyoren**

**Squad 6**

**Position: 3rd Seat**

**4. Yuki Makuto (shadowssj12)**

**Zanpakuto: Raiju**

**Squad 13**

**Position: 4th Seat**

**As I've stated in the last chapter, there will be plenty of opportunities for more OCs to be submitted and you can start sending them in via the review section of by sending me a personal message. It doesn't make a difference how you send them just get them in whenever it's possible. The only race that you cannot submit are the Soul Reapers considering I have four of them listed above. But enough chit-chat. Lets get on with the show.**

* * *

**Soul's Requiem**

**Arc 1: Agent of the Shinigami**

** Chapter 1: Welcome to the Soul Society**

The morning was peaceful in the Soul Society. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and of course, the ever familiar sounds of snoring were heard from the Academy barracks. Inside the room, a sleeping young man was practically flooding his bed with drool as he continued his slumbering bliss. A rather large snot bubble had grown from his nose and appeared to be inflating with each exhale from his opened mouth.

Just another typical day.

"Yuki, wake up..."

The boy named Yuki made no such move.

"Yuki, we're going to be late-"

The voice was cut short when the snoring grew louder and more fierce.

"Grrr... Dammit, WAKE UP ASSHOLE!"

Falling out of the bed with a earth shattering thud, Yuki groaned as he barely opened one eye to see his roommate standing above him with a look of disdain.

"Why'd you wake me up so early?" he grumbled while finally picking himself off of the floor.

The other boy simply scoffed and rolled his eyes before walking away. "Whatever, I'm heading out to the Training Grounds for the exam, you can stay here and sleep." And with that, the only sound heard was the boys sandals clopping on the hardwood floor. Yuki shrugged and began his descent back to dreamland when the realization hit him.

"CRAP!" He yelled as he scurried around the room to find his things. "I'm going to be late for the exams!"

* * *

After just barely making it to the Training Grounds, Yuki stood slightly hunched over breathing heavily from his little 'jog' as he put it. Dressed in the traditional academy uniform, he stood next to his roommate who was trying his hardest not to burst into a fit of laughter at his buddies plight.

"Took you long enough slacker." he snickered earning an elbow to his side.

"Shut up, Atshiko..." Yuki whispered harshly. "...Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

Atsuhiko's smirk fell slightly only to be replaced with a more serious gaze. "Since when am I your guardian?"

Before he could respond, another voice shushed at the two signalling the start of the exams.

"Attention, students. It is my pleasure to announce your final exam!" the proctor spoke with loud mouthed dignity. **(If that's not an oxymoron, I don't know what is...) **"Today, you will have the opportunity to show us and your peers that you are ready to be a member of the thirteen court guard squad. Be warned that there are no second chances once the exams start." A few of the students looked at one another with a bit of insecurity. "If you choose to leave now then you will be permitted to take the exam at a later date..."

As if on cue, nearly half of the sixteen students took a step back and departed for their barracks with fearful and dejected looks on their faces. The proctor shook his head then turned his attention to the remaining eight students who were brave enough to stay.

"Well then, since you all are what's left, let us begin." he smirked before turning to the building behind him.

The students watched in awe as the the large doors opened on their own revealing several silhouettes that proceeded towards the grounds. A chorus of "oohs and ahhs" soon followed when the figures identities were revealed.

"Presenting the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!" he announced with gusto as the students bowed out of respect.

Standing in front of them all was an old man with a long white beard wearing the traditional Shihakushō with a white haori draped across his back. Though he looked to well in his years, the remaining eight could tell that he was no pushover even at this time in his life. He took a moment to observe the young aspiring soul reapers before turning his attention to the proctor who immediately bowed.

"Is this all there is?" he asked in a soft yet still authoritative voice.

"Y-Yes, Head Captain! We originally had sixteen who were supposed to take the exam today but half have decided to take it another time for fear of failing."

The old man looked back at the students. "I am Head Captain Yamamoto. I, along with my subordinates are looking forward to seeing you strive to become members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad. I am the leader of Squad One which is comprised of the captains you see before you." Turning his head slightly he motioned for them to introduce themselves.

The first was a young woman with grey eyes whose black hair was cut in a form of bob style with two long ponytails bound with white cloth. She wore a modified version of the soul reaper Shihakushō but like her superior she too sported a captains haori only hers was sleeveless. Looking sternly she opened her mouth to speak.

"My name is Sui Feng, captain of the second division and leader of the Onmitsukidō." she replied curtly before stepping back with the group.

Next a man with silver hair walked up with a wide grin on his face. His eyes were narrowed to slits so his eye color was unknown. Despite his grin, he gave off a type of vibe that caused a wave of uncomfortability to set in with the students.

"Hello, my name is Ichimaru Gin. I am the captain of the third division within the soul society. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

As he left the others mirrored his actions.

"I am Retsu Unohana of the fourth division. Pleasure to meet you all." she smiled.

"I am Captain Sosuke Aizen of Squad five."

"Byakuya Kuchiki... I am captain of sixth squad..." the man replied blandly earning a few stares of confusion from all but one girl who was blushing like a tomato.

"Yeesh, do ya gotta drool over the guy Yui..." Atsuhiko taunted quietly only to receive a stomp to the foot from the girl in response.

"Captain Sajin Komamura of division seven..." a man with a rather large helmet spoke.

"I am captain Shunsui Kyoraka, captain of squad eight. Charmed..." he winked at the girls in the group.

"I am Kaname Tosen of Squad nine..."

"Toshiro Hitsuguya of Squad 10." the young man spoke earning a look of confusion from every student. Instantly, a vein near his temple began to throb as he felt there 'judgement' towards him before stepping back.

The next captain to speak struck fear in a couple of the students. His twisted grin nearly put Gin's to shame as an aura of sadistic and brutality emitted from the man. "Kempachi Zaraki here!" he yelled out with sick glee. "SO... who's gonna be my next victim hmmm? Squad eleven could use some more sparring dummy's!" he then let out a laugh that nearly caused two of the students to wet themselves. However, one girl watched him with a slight smirk on her face as a few strands of her own silver-pink hair fell in front of her eyes.

"I am captain of the twelfth squad, Kurosutchi Mayuri..." the face painted man smiled wickedly. "I look forward to seeing my, hopefully, future test subjects er- squad members."

This caused a wave of uneasiness to crash down on the students who made no action to hide their reactions to his 'introduction'.

The last captain to step forward was a nobleman with long white hair. His expression was soft with a touch of compassion for his fellow man (or soul reaper). Bowing to the eight who stood before him, he smiled even wider. "Hello, my name is Jushiro Ukitake. I am the captain of the 13 division and it is a pleasure to meet you all. Good luck on your exam."

With that he turned and walked back to the group.

Head captain Yamamoto then looked back to the proctor and nodded.

"Students, it is time for your exam to begin." he announced with enthusiasm before turning control to the old man.

"Considering that you are the only ones who remained, I am pleased to announced that majority of your graduation exam has been cut." This earned him a few sighs of relief. "Instead, you will spar against one another to show your skills. Hopefully, your abilities will determine what squad you belong in... if you are accepted..." he opened his eyes to slightly bigger slits revealing a stern and serious gaze. "Now we shall begin!"

The proctor stepped forward again with a small book and scanned the records for his students.

"First will be..." he flipped through the pages until his eyes rested on the individual he wanted. "... Atsuhiko."

The young man looked at Yui with confidence before stepping forward to the middle of the training grounds.

"You will be taking on Kenji." A much larger man stepped forward with a cocky grin. He pulled out his zanpakuto with one hand and had it extended at Atsuhiko who only looked at his opponents eyes with little to no emotion. Of the two men, Atsuhiko had his arms crossed with a relaxed demeanor and a nonchalant gaze which earned him a huff from Kenji.

"These two are our top two students in the academy." the proctor whispered to Yamamoto who, for once in his long life, looked interested in something. "Kenji is an expert in Kido spells while Atsuhiko... well, it would be easier to show you."

Yamamoto nodded then looked back to the two.

"Begin!"

Kenji pulled his zanpakuto back and disappeared from everyone's view. Sui Feng was a little impressed at the speed. Even she couldn't track him at first.

"Bakudo #1: Sai."

Suddenly, Atsuhiko felt his arms forced behind his back. He tried and struggled but to no avail. Kenji then appeared before him and extended his index finger at his defenseless prey's left pectoral. "Hado #4: Byakurai..."

Atsuhiko's eyes widened as a blue beam shot through his heart. Blood and saliva shot out of his mouth as his body unwillingly fell back in the air. All the captains except Shunsui and Yamamoto watched in astonishment at the quick victory they'd just witness.

"It's not over..." Kyoraka said with a smirk earning a confused glance from the others. "Not by a long shot."

They all turned back to see the body seemingly fizzle away before their very eyes.

"What the?" Kenji roared in a mix of surprise and anger. It was obvious that he'd been hoping for a quick win.

Then, as if out of nowhere, he heard a faint voice coming from behind him.

"Idiot..." the young man said with a wide grin. "Bakudo #9 Geki..."

Turning around, Kenji, along with the other students, watched as Atsuhiko's body glowed red energy then turned their attentions to the grunts of Kenji who was now shrouded in a red aura that appeared to be paralyzing him. It was then that the head captain found out why Atsuhiko was the top student. Extending his zanpakuto, he did what nobody expected.

"Howl, Konton no Ookami."

The sound of wolves howling in the distance rang through everyone's ears as a green flash surrounded him. Yuki and the other students shielded their eyes while the captains only watched in amazement at the sight of an academy student summoning his zanpakuto at this early stage. As the bright light dimmed, Atsuhiko was now holding a medium length green and gold scythe. Gone was his normally carefree expression only to be replaced by a focused and subtly blood lust demeanor.

This raised the interest of Kenpachi Zaraki who sensed someone who may give even him a challenge. Kenji was truly afraid as he stood [literally] frozen in place as Atsuhiko suddenly flash stepped only a mere inch away from his paralyzed form. Raising his blade, Atsuhiko prepared the finishing blow. "Chi no Kiba!"

Everyone prepared for the worst...

"I submit!"

Kenji opened his tear stained eyes to find the blade had stopped only millimeters from his neck.

The proctor immediately stepped in. "The winner is Atsuhiko..."

It wasn't long before the kido spell was released and Kenji quickly ran away to the barracks in utter terror while his opponent stepped back to the line of his shocked peers. Yuki was the first to speak.

"Since when have you ever release your zanpakuto?"

Atsuhiko smiled from ear to ear at his friend. "Since I started paying attention and meditating while you opted to use your time playing pranks on our classmates."

"He has a point." a young woman leaned on Atsuhiko's shoulder. "If you concentrated on studying and learning your zanpakuto's name, mayby you would know yours. Hell, even Yui knows her blade's name and can release it."

"Can it Kasai." Yuki sulked. "Nobody asked you."

This earned a giggle from the girl with

The girl known as Kasai was about to say something when she heard her name being called. "Kasai Hasu please step forward."

She complied with the order and awaited her opponent.

"You will be facing..." the proctor took his time again scanning through the names before settling on one. "...Ah! Yuki Makuto..."

Kasai smirked wickedly as the boy gulped and stepped over to the middle of the grounds.

"Kasai is one of our top students while Yuki is at the very bottom of the heap..." the proctor was silenced by a glare from Head Captain Yamamoto. "Combatants, begin!" he announced.

Yuki shook his head and attempted a flash step ending up at Kasai's left flank. '_Got this is in the bag!._' he thought as he swung his blade down. However, he only heard steel connect as she blocked his attack with ease.

"Idiot... basic attacks wont work on me." she mocked before taking a kick to the side that sent her tumbling on the ground.

Yuki smiled as he watched the girl roll on the ground. "Sweet! I didn't think that would hurt her." he began celebrating his accomplishment by dancing around earning a few looks of confusion from the captains. Only Shunsui and Jushiro kept a straight face as they watched the girl get to her feet.

"Yuki..."

He froze in terror as he deard his name being called in a sing-song voice. It only meant one thing and he knew what that was from experience... Yuki turned around to see Kasai back to her feet with a dark glare and an equally dark smile on her face. Her mismatch colored eyes glowed with fury. (Light blue in the left eye and dark green in the right), her orbs now shined brighter than any sapphire or emerald.

"Oh crap..." Atsuhiko whispered as he and the others watched her body emanate a blood red aura that resembled flames. "I wanna play with you **YUKI**!"

Yuki felt like he was about to crap out a brick when he heard her voice shift into a more demonic one. He then noticed that her long luxurious silver hair was completely down and her favorite ribbon was now on the ground.

**"Confuse Kanjo no Sosa."**

Kenpachi's attention was now on the girl who looked like she was hunched over carrying a heavy burden on her back. Unknown to everyone but him though, Kenpachi took notice to the spiritual energy that had somehow manifested into a demon. His grin grew wider as each second passed knowing for sure she was the one he wanted to be in his division. Here standing before him was a formerly calm girl who was now enraged and loving every passing minute of it.

She bit her thumb and soon her zanpakuto was released.

Two small sickle like weapons were in each hand as Yuki gripped his blade so tight, that his knuckles were turning white.

"Crap. What have I done?"

Before he could even form a thought, Kasai charged at a blinding speed towards him and brought down both weapons causing him to narrowly avoid the ground crushing blow via flash step. He swung his sword horizontal direction only to have her leap up and stand on the blade itself.

Yui watched in terror as blood spilled in the air and the cries of Yuki rang in her ears. She tightened her eyes as he landed on his back with a sickening thud clutching his shoulder. Atsuhiko could only watch as his best friend struggled to his feet with a river of crimson dripping to the ground below.

**"Oh, you're still standing?" **Kasai mocked with a slight hint of glee in her voice. **"Let's see if we can fix that!"**

She charged again not even bothering to release an attack but instead launched several regular swipe attacks with the mini scythes in which Yuki miraculously dodged every single one narrowly. He thrust his blade at her torso only to have it caught between the weapons and received a kick for his troubles. He grunted but caught sight of something that could help him at the very least survive.

'Her eyes...'

_'You finally use that thing you call a brain..." _

'Huh? Who's there?'

_'You're mother dumbass... No, I'm the spirit of your zanpakuto..."_

'How are you talking to me?'

_'Nevermind that now. Right now I need you to listen carefully so you don't die after such an accomplishment..."_

Yuki managed (barely) to get on one knee and was breathing heavily much to the disbelief of Kasai and the delight of a certain captain.

_'My name is...'_

**"Time to end this!" **

Kasai then combined her scythes into a double edged single one and clutching it tightly in her hands, with blood lust in her eyes, she prepared the final blow.

"Strike from the Heavens, Raiju!"

Yuki felt the spiritual energy flow throughout his body and suddenly his injuries no longer held any pain to him. He stood with ease and held out a katana that is 1.5 meters long with a blue guard, a yellow hilt,  
and a black sheath.

Kasai watched in amazement as the slacker boy who never seemed to care about anything but having fun, was now staring back at her with a look of determination the likes of which she had never seen from him. It was like he was a different person.

"One strike..."

She looked at him in confusion.

"We both are exhausted... Your power weighs you down and my injuries though they no longer hurt, are gonna drive me into the ground after this move. So what do you say?"

Everyone watched as the two academy students channeled their spiritual pressure into their respective weapons. Red flames emanated on Kasai's scythe while orange aura engulfed Yuki's katana. With a smile from each, they charged at one another with intent to defeat. Neither wanted to be the loser and neither would just admit defeat to the other. They had too much pride and respect to do that. With mighty roars, the academy ground radiated with a fiery glow as the two connected with their blows resulting in them standing away from each other.

Their breathing laboring, as they forced themselves to stand up straight.

But it was short lived as Yuki dropped to one knee.

Grunting as his wound re-opened, he failed to notice Kasai staggering herself and within seconds, they both collapsed from exhaustion...

...at the same time.

"T-This fight is considered a draw." the proctor spoke up with a shaky voice as Atsuhiko and Yui rushed to help their friends. "Up next is-"

"Wait!" Yamamoto called out.

He pointed his finger to the young girl with silky black hair who looked as if her heart was about to explode.

"What is your name?" he asked opening his eyes once more; his gaze piercing her very soul.

"Y-Yui Hotaru, Head Captain." She immediately bowed out of a mix of fear and respect for the old man.

He pondered over her name for a moment before looking back at the group of captains.

"Who among you is willing to choose this young woman for your squad?"

Yui couldn't believe her ears. Were they really passing judgement on her before even having a chance to prove herself? She felt hot tears forming as she shut her eyes tight. The long silence felt like an eternity to the poor girl until...

"I will..."

Opening her eyes in shock, though refusing to look up, she could swear she'd just heard the voice of...

"Captain Kuchiki, are you certain?" Yamamoto asked with a bit of curiosity in his voice.

The noble captain nodded his confirmation.

"Very well then. Yui Hotaru is officially a member of the sixth division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad." he announced before looking at the other three friends.

"What about these three?"

"I will gladly accept... Atsuhiko is it?" the young man nodded. "Excellent, squad eight will gladly accept Atsuhiko Makihiko."

Yamamoto nodded.

"I will take the girl." Kenpachi grinned sadistically. "Never seen a girl with that much strength before and I'll be damned if I let one of these sissies take her from under my nose."

Kasai weakly grinned at the captain before picking herself up.

Yamamoto finally turned his piercing gaze upon Yuki.

"Hmmm..." he contemplated before speaking again. "And what about the boy?"

Again, silence...

Yuki looked downcast before noticing Mayuri opening his mouth to speak. With wide-eyed terror he'd rather not be admitted in the Soul Society than be a literal puppet of Mayuri Kurosutchi.

"I'll accept him..." Ukitake spoke up much to the disdain of Captain Kurosutchi. "...Welcome to squad thirteen..." he smiled as Yuki nearly passed out with relief.

"Then it's settled. Atsuhiko Makihiko is now a member of squad eight under the leadership of Captain Shunsui Kyoraka."

He brushed his fingers through his dreadlocked hair and grinned from ear to ear.

"Kasai Hasu will make history as the second female to be admitted into squad eleven under the leadership of Kenpachi Zaraki."

She nodded with a serious look but inner happiness welling up inside.

"Yui Hotaru is officially a member of squad six under the tutelage of Captain Byakuya Kuchiki."

She smiled despite her tears as her new captain bowed his head in acceptance.

"Lastly, Yuki Makuto is hereby a member of squad thirteen under the leadership of Captain Jushiro Ukitake."

The friends laughed and hugged one another.

"Please follow your designated Captains to your new barracks while the exams continue."

The four bowed at the Head Captain before departing with their new captains to their new homes...

...and the start of a new adventure...

_**To Be Continued..****..**_

* * *

**Well this ends chapter one of the very first arc and I sincerely hope that you all enjoy it. I worked and tweaked so that this could be as enjoyable as possible and I think I did a decent job. If you think so too or if you want to, leave some feedback via the reviews section. I'd love to hear more ideas and your opinions on how you think I'm doing on this fiction. If you think I should improve on certain things then let me know so that I can fix it in the next chapter.**

**I know that Yui Hotaru didn't get a fight scene but I have other plans for her character in the next few chapters that should make things interesting. Also if it felt like the story was rushed so far then I apologize for that. I tried my best to slow it down enough for the good stuff to sink in so I'll work on that too.**

**This is dedicated to you all who love bleach and although i forgot to put it at the beginning of the chapter...**

**"I do NOT own Bleach (though I wish I did) or any of its characters, locations (unless made up by me), or attacks/techniques. They all belong to Tite Kubo...**

**There's my disclaimer and again review, review, REVIEW!**

**This is KenshinIchimaru signing off for now**


	4. Hollow Points

**I was pleased with the turn out for the OC applications that have been sent in since the first chapter was posted. However, before I get into that, I want to once again post the following (already) confirmed characters in the story:**

***Atsuhiko Makihiko (KenshinIchimaru)**

** Zanpakuto: Konton no O****o**kami

**Squad 8 **

**Position: 3rd Seat**

***Kasai Hasu (pinoychick101)**

**Zanpakuto: Kanjo no Sosa**

**Squad 11**

**Position: 4th Seat**

***Yui Hotaru (Scarlett Kuchiki)**

**Zanpakuto: Shi no Hyoren**

**Squad 6**

**Position: 3rd Seat**

***Yuki Makuto (shadowssj12)**

**Zanpakuto: Raiju**

**Squad 13**

**Position: 4th Seat**

**Now for the newest members of the cast list:**

***Kaito "Kite" Satoshi (Asher Grey)**

**Visored**

***Valencia Ruiz Salvatierra (Fallen Heavens)**

**Arrancar**

***Reiko Takenaka (Fallen Heavens)**

**Human**

***Ferox Ultricies (ThisIsUrMom)**

**Arrancar**

**These characters are confirmed but will not be introduced until later chapters. So, be on the lookout for them. I also made sure to exclude their information such as rank because that would just spoil the story now don't you think? **

**Now, I wanted to mention, before going any further, I want to give you all an update about the initial plot of the story. First, while I do intend to continue down the timeline of the canon storyline, I would like to emphasize that this will be completely AU. So, only certain characters from the anime will have appearances such as Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin, Tessai, Uryu, Chad, etc. but the initial plot will be completely different. There will also be time-skips between certain canon arcs that will forward the story into the AU story arcs. So bare with me on this, and I will definitely make it worth your while in the end result.**

**Finally, there is another concept I will introduce in this chapter that will play a role in the four soul reapers destinies and interaction with others within the soul society. The Rukongai... Everyone is from a certain part of the Rukon Districts and that will play a major role throughout the story. Certain incidents will occur where this information will determine where they came from and where they are headed in the future. I hope that wasn't too confusing and I will at the very least introduce the districts that Atsuhiko, Yui, Yuki, and Kasai come from. **

**Congrats and thanks to those who submitted their OCs and I will hold one last contest for a Quincy couple (male and female) to be put in the story. If you have ideas or would like more information on that then let me know via review or PM's and I will answer to the best of my ability about what I am looking for in the character style or personality. I will also be open to discuss anything involving current or future characters purpose or personal story within the plot as a means for better understanding what I am writing and how I portray them.**

**For the sake of the story, Im fast forwarding the timeline now to about a years time. During this time, the three have earned a reputation and have been thoroughly trained in their respective squads. Also I would like to note that Yui will not be in this chapter. The reason being, I have another route I'm going top take with her**

* * *

**Souls Requiem**

**Arc 1: Agents of the Shinigami**

** Chapter 2: Hollow Points**

It had been a year since the graduation battles and Atsuhiko couldn't be any more relieved. A few months after being recruited, not only was he chosen to be a member of the thirteen court guard squad, but he was eventually promoted a position as the third seat. After being being briefed on the squad's philosophy, he immediately got to work and within a couple of days, he'd shown that he was more than capable of handling the paperwork that normally Nanao Ise would pester Shunsui Kyoraka about (Much to the captains relief). Today he awoke bright and early then put his uniform on to start the day. Just as he exited his room, he took notice of a hell butterfly that was flapping its wings in front of him. Confused at first, he extended his hand to touch the creature only to hear a chiming sound.

"3rd seat, Atsuhiko Makihiko, per the captains orders, you are given the day off." He recognized the voice to be his superior Nanao. "You're encouraged to take in the sights and enjoy your day."

A smile crept on his face when a click and another chime sounded.

"Hey, Atsuhiko." This time was Captain Kyoraka. "I Know you have the day off but... I need you to run a document to Captain Komamura for me before taking off. I left it in my office so Nanao should know exactly where it is. Thanks again, friend."

The boy sighed before grabbing his zanpakuto from behind the door and heading to his destination.

**Later...**

As Atsuhiko carried the document (which was comprised of nearly 75 pages of paper), he heard a pair of familiar voices that seemed to bring a smile to heart.

"Yo, Atsu!" it was Kasai.

He turned to his head to see the young woman approaching him with Yuki following behind.

"Hey guys, what's-" he stopped to catch a stray floating page. "..up..."

"Apparently NOT you!" Yuki laughed as a small storm cloud formed over the now irritated Atsuhiko. "You look like crap right now!"

Kasai took notice of her friend's expression and promptly punched Yuki in the arm.

"Ouch! The hell?!"

"Serves you right..." she noted with a smirk before turning her attention back to Atsuhiko. "Anyways, we both have the day off and we were headed over to the Rukongai for a bite to eat, wanna come?"

"I'd love to but I have to deliver these documents to Komamura first." he grunted as the pile started tilting. "It's really important so I oof!"

Turning back in front of him, Atsuhiko saw whatever he had knocked down.

Or in this particular case, who.

"Im sorry Capt-"

"Well you should be sorry!" the woman snapped as she made it to her feet. Everyone froze in realization of the voice.

"C-Captain Soi Fon! Please accept my apology..." Atsuhiko bowed out of respect and sincerity. "I didn't mean to bump into you. It was an accident-"

"Just watch where you're going next time." she scolded as she rudely pushed past the two young men. She was a mere foot away before a faint whisper caught the two's ear. "District 78 trash..."

Kasai held her breath as she watched with worry in her eyes as her friends tense up. "What was that?" Yuki growled.

Turning around with a smug grin on her face, the second division captain crossed her arms. "I called you two: District. Seventy-eight. Trash." she made sure to emphasize each syllable taking notice of how much it bothered the younger of the two.

Yuki was livid and practically snarling at her while Atsuhiko simply glared at her. She was literally playing with fire and ice as they continued their mental murder of Soi Fon. However, before Kasai could step in to calm them down, Atsuhiko simply handed the pile of documents to her and approached his near rabid friend.

"It's okay, Yuki. Captain Soi Fon is entitled to her own opinion." This caused a look of disbelief to surface on Yuki's face.

Soi Fon's grin only grew.

"At least one of the "Hanging Dog" mutts knows his place..." she taunted only to receive another, yet more fierce glare from the dark skinned shinigami.

"We all can't be pampered royal brats, can we?"

Now it was Soi Fon's turn to look at him with disbelief. "W-What did you say, mutt?" she hissed with venom oozing from her every word.

He chuckled before walking past the gates of the seventh division; Yuki and Kasai (now holding the paperwork) followed leaving behind an angry Soi Fon.

* * *

After delivering the paperwork to Captain Komamura, the three began their journey to the Rukongai. Unfortunately, there plans were put on hold when the figures of captain's Kyoraka and Ukitake approached them.

"Hey, Atsuhiko. Enjoying your day off I hope?" he smiled sadly. He shook his head earning a sigh. "Well I'm afraid I have some good news and some bad news."

They all looked at one another with worried looks before Shunsui continued.

"The bad news is, you three are going to have to take a rain check on your adventure to the Rukongai." This earned him a few groans. "The good news is, you three are getting your first official mission in the world of the living."

Kasai's eyes bulged with glee.

Yuki was now sporting a nearly face splitting grin.

Atsuhiko's eyes lit up.

"It's truly a privilege to be journeying to the human world but be careful." Captain Ukitake noted. "You're going for two reasons. The first is to find a new soul to the Rukongai before their chain erodes completely. The second is to repel and destroy a hollow that is currently hunting said soul. You three must act with haste if you are to succeed in your mission."

They all nodded in confirmation.

"I'll open a Senkaimon for you about a couple of miles from the soul. The hollow should reveal itself in due time." Shunsui turned around just as two wooden double doors opened revealing a bright light. "Atsuhiko, you're leading this mission." he smirked while they entered. "Have fun."

* * *

**World of the Living**

It only took a moment for them to arrive in a rather large city at night. Looking around, they marveled at the sights and sounds around them having never seen this before.

"Fancy..." Yuki smirked. That was until his eyes caught sight of three young girls who appeared to be waiting on a yellow car to pick them up. "Very, fancy indeed." A devious gleam shined in his eyes, but was replaced with fake anime tears after Kasai punched him in the head causing a giant growth of skin to form on his head.

"Idiot..." she groaned while pinching the bridge of her nose. "Less than a few seconds of arriving, you're already becoming a pervert."

Yuki was about to argue with her but stopped short when he noticed Atsuhiko put his hand up.

"Let's go. The soul is not too far from here." he instructed. "And I feel that hollow isn't too far from it either so we'd better hurry."

They took off once more feeling the spiritual pressure growing letting them know they were almost there. Finally, they arrived at a small park where the only person around was:

"A little girl?" Yuki asked with a mix of confusion and disinterest in his voice.

Indeed, there was a little girl who was on her knees crying for her mother. She appeared to be no older than the age of five in human years and had auburn hair that was tied into pig tails. Her skin was a light brown that went well with her brown eyes Atsuhiko approached her and knelt down beside her. He looked back at the two sending them an unspoken order to keep an eye out for the supposed hollow that was rumored to be nearby.

"Hey, are you okay?" the girl stopped her crying and looked up at the shinigami with desperate and tear-filled brown orbs. "Why are you here by yourself?"

She sniffled a little before wiping her eyes.

"I got lost and now I can't find my mommy!" she whimpered.

Shaking his head, he noticed the girl about to resume her crying and promptly hugged her. "It's okay, we'll find her together okay?"

The girl looked up at him with tearful glee. "R-Really?"

He nodded earning a hugged this time prompted from the little girl. It was at that moment that he felt and heard the sounds of a chain. As they pulled apart, he noticed that she was definitely the soul they'd set out to retrieve.

"Hey, I need you do something okay?" she nodded as he stood to his feet. "Are you willing to stay with me until we find your mother?"

"Sure!" she beamed with a big toothy smile.

He returned the gesture but turned around when he felt a strong spiritual being approaching them.

"Alright. I'm going to do something that will send you away from here for a moment but I'll be back okay?" she looked at him with fresh tears threatening to pour out. He had to fix this quickly. "I mean, I have to do something else first but I'll be able to find you a place where I'll find you, okay?"

The girl took his hand and looked at him for a moment.

"Do you promise to find me?"

He nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes. I promise..."

It was all she needed to hear and soon the little girl smiled again. "Okay, I can wait for you then."

'Phew' he thought to himself. "I'm sending you to a place called the soul society okay? They'll take you to a place where you will be safe. I'll find you once me and my friends finish here okay?"

The little girl nodded.

"Good."

Atsuhiko then lifted his blade but lightly tapped her forehead with the hilt. A small light emitted from his action and soon the little girl was headed towards a Senkaimon. Before she disappeared behind the doors she looked back.

"What's your name?" she asked.

Taken aback for a moment, he responded. "Atsuhiko."

"Yay! Big brother Atsu!" she cheered just as the doors closed and the Senkaimon vanished.

Sighing from relief, he then turned to see the source of the violent spirit energy.

"Took you long enough..." Yuki mocked just as the creature made its 'grand entrance'. "...What the hell is that?"

The hollow had six-limbs and a giant tail that appeared to double as a sword on the tip. On its back were two tentacles, one black and the other white. **(A/N: Imagine the Metastacia Hollow that fused with Kaien Shiba minus four tentacles.) **It roared as it charged towards the three.

"Okay, let's make our captains proud." Atsuhiko shumpoed behind the beast only to get side swiped by it large tail into a building.

Yuki charged head on and launched a vertical slash to its mask but barely made a dent. Kasai shumpoed above the hollow and launched her assault.

"Hado #1: Sho." She pointed her two fingers releasing a large amount of kinetic force that knocked the hollow back slightly. Next she put her hands in front of her body. "Hado #4: Byakurai." instantly a blue stream of lightning shot from her hands into the hollow forcing it to collapse.

"Since when were members of the 11th squad able to perform Kido?" Yuki looked at the silver haired girl with astonishment.

Kasai looked at him with a devious glare. "As far as I know? None..." she grabbed his collar and yanked him towards her. "And as far as my captain knows, it's going to stay that way. Understand?"

He nodded dumbly as she flashed a 'sweet' smile that reminded him of a certain squad four captain . 'She's just as scary as Captain Unohana..' he thought.

Suddenly, the hollow roared again and charged at the two with malicious intent. Dropping Yuki, Kasai readied her zanpakuto and prepared to strike it head on. As the beast neared her, she swung the sword in a diagonal slash connecting with its masked face forcing it into the ground with a sickening thud. Yuki watched in amazement Kasai's strength but soon snapped out of his stupor when a large tentacle sailed behind her.

"Kasai! Get out of the way!" He yelled while running towards her.

Turning around, she felt time slow down as the tentacle was moving too fast for her to get away. Her body was frozen. Her mind went blank. Her careless attack created the opening and now this hollow had seized the opportunity to not only strike her, but more than likely deal a fatal blow to her at point blank range. Barely managing to close her eyes, Kasai prepared for the imminent euphoria of death that her superior Kempachi had gone on about.

'Damn..' It was all she could say as she then heard the sound of blood spilling. She slowly opened her eyes looking down at herself to find that while there was blood now on the ground, none of it was hers. Fear began to grip her as the force of reality rained down on her heavily. The blood belongs to someone else.

'But.. Who?' she asked mentally.

She received her answer when she saw two figures in front of her. The first was of Yuki who looked to be clutching his chest in a futile attempt to stop any more blood from escaping the deep wound in his chest. While one hand was busy with the wound, his right hand held one of the hollow's tentacles preventing it from attacking again. The other was of Atsuhiko who appeared to be banged up as well but was still standing.

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws." the latter recited. "Hadō #33. Sōkatsui."

Kasai watched as a blue flame was discharged from his palm then within an instant, a blast of blue energy shot out and hit the hollow point blank in its mask shattering a portion of it in the process. It shrieked in pain as Atsuhiko continued the kido spell with full power. The blue energy then expanded and engulfed the hollows entire body with pure destructive power. Once the spell ended, the only thing left in its place was a tentacle that was mostly buried under some rubble. He then turned to his friends wuth a stoic look on his face that confirmed that this mission was over.

"Sorry I'm late..." he rubbed the back of his neck with a small grin. "I was knocked a few miles away from here thanks to its tail swipe."

The three friends chuckled amongst one another.

"You idiot." Yuki grunted through a forced smirk. "You just wanted to make a grand entrance!" he barked.

Although, it sounded harsh, Atsuhiko and Kasai could tell that there was no malice in his words and that he was secretly joking. The latter was about to speak when the sound of shifting rubble and debris. Looking back, the all witnessed the hollow struggling to pull itself out of its makeshift grave.

"No way." Kasai whispered as it finally emerged fully.

**"Where' !" **It roared before stumbling and dropping to its knees.

Looking confused at one another, Yuki and Kasai were dumbfounded to say the least at what they'd just heard.

"Did that hollow just... talk?"

Atsuhiko nodded then extended his hand and muttered something that was inaudible to his comrades. "Bakudō # 30. Shitotsu Sansen."

He began to generate a burst of crackling yellow energy in his palm and then drew an inverted yellow triangle of solidified energy. That energy then formed into the shape of smaller triangles from its three points that he then fired at the wounded hollow. Within seconds the triangles slammed into its massive body in three places in the shape of a perfect triangle and immobilized it. Despite its power and shrieking, the spell held firm as he then approached it.

"What is it that you want?" he asked the struggling beast. "Why were you chasing that little girl?"

**"It. My. Child."**

Although it was unorthodox, Atsuhiko looked at the now crying hollow with sadness in his eyes. "I understand..." he said as a tear spilled from his own orbs. "She's safe now."

The hollow looked at him with its empty skull eyes with a questionable gaze. **"Keep. Her. Safe?"**

He nodded a smiled as it calmed down. "I promise, I'll protect her with my life."

**"Thank. You."**

With those last words, the hollow exhaled one last time before its body began to dissipate into nothing leaving behind the confused pair of Yuki & Kasai and a now determined Atsuhiko. He turned around and opened a Senkaimon. "Come on guys? We have to get to the Rukongai." The two nodded in response and prepared to enter the doorway back to the Soul Society but just as Yuki was about to enter, he looked back to see a black cat with golden eyes staring back at him. As they locked eyes, he could feel a large amount of spiritual pressure from the small animal. Raising an eyebrow, he reluctantly walked away through the doorway leaving it behind.

Just as the Senkaimon had finished closing, another figure approached the cat.

"They are an interesting bunch aren't they?" the man asked with a smirk etched on his face.

The cat looked up. "The boys remind me of you when you were once in the soul society."

Instantly, the smirk turned into a deep scowl. "You can ditch the manly act, Yoruichi... It's pretty annoying after awhile..."

The cat shrugged and within seconds (and a near blinding yellow flash), the animal had now taken the form of a beautiful young woman who was now practically clinging to the seemingly disgruntled male. "Awww... did Kitey whitey miss me like this?"

This earned a deep blush from him and a drop of blood fell from his nose.

"Stop that!" he yelled while trying to remove her nearly nude body from his arm. "And put some damn clothes on for Spirit King's sake!"

The dark skinned woman hesitantly released her hold with a small pout. She folded her arms underneath her ample breast that were only covered by her long purple hair. "Hmph... You're no fun, you know that?"

When she received no response, she then noticed him crouched down trying to stop his now leaking nose.

"Then again..." she mused with a seductive grin forming on her lips.

"Don't finish that statement." he pointed a finger at her while stuffing his nostrils with tissue. "Let's just get back to Urahara with the news."

The two then set off to find their target.

"As you wish, Kitey Whity!" she yelled off before she used shumpo to disappear.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, THAT'S NOT MY NAME!"

* * *

**And now chapter two is done! I hope you all like this one as it took me a little over a week to actually think of this and to put this all on the site with fluency was even more difficult. I know that this and the last chapter may have been slow as far as action is concerned but rest assured, I will be working on improving that as well as my overall writing skills.**

**I would also like to touch on some sub-plots that will keep the story going at this point.**

**1. Noble vs Rebels- Soi Fon's dislike for Atsuhiko and Yuki is because they are polar opposites. She considers the two to be rejects even though Atsuhiko was the top ranked student in the Soul Academy. This will be a major point in the story in later chapters that will lead to much more action and betrayals, etc.**

**2. Human Emotions for a Shinigami- Atsuhiko's relationship with others will be considered more human like than most. In this chapter, he immediately befriended the soul of a little girl and promised to look after her despite it only being his job. In the next arc (where arrancars will be introduced), he will again deal with these feelings and learn just how far he is willing to go to keep them.**

**3. Yuki's Injury- This will definitely be the first step of Yuki's individual story. I wont reveal too much as that would be a spoiler big time but starting with the next chapter, you will begin to see the change in him that will lead to his destiny. Whether it involves the S.S. or something else entirely? Well you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out.**

**4. Yui's Tale- I wanted to work on Yui's story but it didn't tie in with what I have now. Fortunately, I found the perfect way to re-introduce her to the story. Her back story! Yes, the best way to bring her into the story and throw her into the mix would be to have a chapter that explains just why she feels different from the other friends. **

**5. Kasai's Tale- Just like Yui, Kasai will have a back story that starts from the Rukon district to the present.**

**So this is where the story is headed for now and I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter again. If you have any ideas or questions then just drop me a review or PM (preferably review). I respond to reviews faster since I have no computer at home but use my mobile phone. But if you have any extra information about you characters or Bleach info like stronger kido spells, attacks or even the locations then just send them to me and I will definitely use them to make this story better as well as give you the credit for your much wanted help.**

**But now with a sad smile (like Gin), I bid you farewell.**

**Until next time...**

**-KenshinIchimaru**


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